Material handling apparatus



March 18, 1947.

c. c. COLEMAN! 1 IATERiAL'HANDLING Armul'rus Filed Oct. 16. 1944 2 sn b-shut 1 INVENTOR- CZAEEA/CE C COLEMAN,

ATTORNEY.

. March 18, 1947. c, c COLEMAN MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS 24 Shuts-Shut 2 Filed Oct. 16. 1944 \i am INVENTOR.

vllllllllllllllll cM-N 6 BY as C Chasm/4% 6 ATTORNEY.

, Patented Mar. 18, 1947 s PATENT OFF-ICE MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATU Clarence 0. Coleman, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor of one-half to Marion P. McGaflrey and onehalf to William Rnddock, both of Los Angeles,

Calif.

Application October 16, 1944, SerialNo. 558,887

' 1 This invention relates to material handling equipment, and more particularly to means'for preventing undue stressin such'apparatusr In Patent Number 2,260,539, issued to William' Ruddock on October 28, 1941, for a Tractor shovel,

an apparatus is disclosed, wherein a bucket or dipper is carried on a boom or arm, which extends longitudinally of the tractor and is supported for movement about an axis extending transverse ly of the tractor frame, by standards mounted on opposite sides of the tractor frame. When the bucket is to be loaded, the boom is swung to lower the bucket in front of thetractor, which is advanced to force the bucket into the material to be loaded. A bumper or abutment means is 9 Claims. (01.214-140) material handling apparatus incorporating the invention mounted thereon;

,Figure 2 is a plan view of the forward portion of the tractor and apparatus of Figure 1; v

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 3-4 of Figure 2; and

Figures 4 and 5 are detail sections taken on the correspondingly numbered linesof Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, a bucket and arm assembly lsindicated by the numeral I, and comprises -a boom or arm structure I, mounted on a self propelled vehicle '3, such as a tractor, for a movement in a vertical plane extending longiprovided for transferring most of the strain in-- cident to such loading operation directly between the bucket and the frame 01 the tractor. Thus,

the standards and other parts of the apparatus are not subjected to severe stresses, neither is the tractors equilibrium destroyed by application of a force having a large horizontal component acting at the tops of the standards.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved form of such abutmentmeans.

It is another object of thislnvention to provide such bumper or abutment means which functions I equally well for any one of several positions to which the" bucket may be optionally lowered for loading.

It is another such means arranged to prevent the lowering of the bucket below a predetermined position or maximum depth of digging or scraping-operations.

-It is still another object of this inventionto provide such means which has no tendency to 7 so structure just behind the bucket 4 and is conobject of this invention to provide tudinally of the vehicle. The arm structure 2' has a bucket or material handling element 4 mounted on its forward end, so that said move ment of the arm structure 2, serves to raise and lower the bucket. The bucket 4 has a width substantially the same as the overall width of the" tractor 3, so that when the bucket l is in its lowered or loading position, the apparatus may be operated in a manner simflar to a bull dozer, either as a scraper or to load the bucket.

In order to'adequately support the bucket 4, the arm structure 2 includes a pair of spaced side I members or arms 5 and 8, appropriately joined to form a unitary structure and connected to the bucket 4 near itsopposite ends. For this purpose, a cross tie 1 extends transversely of the-arm nected to the arm members 5 and 6 as by weld; ing. The arms 5' and 8 are provided at their forward ends with a pair of plates 5a and Go'- 1 respectively, having depending portions to which the bucket is pivotally secured as by pins 8 and 9 thefbucket. The bucket is thus adapted to be raise the bucket to lift it from its operating position, incident to the forward movement of the tractor.

This invention possesses many other advan- 1 tages, and has other objects which may be made I more easily apparent from a consideration of one embodiment of the invention. For this purpose there is shown aform inthe drawings accompanying and forming part oi the present specification. This form will now be described in detail,

engaging respectively, pairs of ears to and to on swung downwardly with respect to the arm I mm the full line loading and load retaining tion of Figure 1 to dump the load.

In the loading position the cross tie 1 serves as a stop, againstwhich'the bucket l is held by a pair of operating cables In and II, attached to the upper part of the bucket I as at Ito and Na. These cables extend respectively along the arm members 5 and 8, to asheave it at the illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense,

since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

rear end of each member, and thence downwardly about the sheaves 12 to winding drum [3. Appropriate actuating mechanism is provided for the drums l3, whereby they may be operated to control the bucket l to move the bucket to load dumping-position or to loading position, and to raise and lower the bucket and arm assembly I.

I Figure 1 is a side elevation or a tractor having as The arm structure 2 is supported by a horizontal shaft l4 by which the arm members 3 and 8 are swingably mounted, the shaft I4 in turn being supported by standards l mounted on the frame It of the tractor 3. An additional cable I1 is connected to the rear of the arm 2 and The bucket 4 is intended to be loaded by being lowered to substantially the position shown in Figure 3 and supported in such position by re-' stricting rotation ofthe drums l3 so that the advancing edge 4--a of the bucket will engage the material to be handled at a desired depth,-

' the frame (see Figures 2, 3 and 4).

. 22 causes it to remain in contact with the roller for any lower position of the bucket.

In order to -support the bars 25 adequately, a cross piece 40 is installed at-the forward end of This may conveniently comprise a tubular element 4i provided with brackets 42 at its ends, which brackets are appropriately secured to the longitudinal structure 2 and tractor frame I6, means are provided for transmitting such force directly between the bucket 4 and the tractor frame 18. Thus, a pair of abutment members or bumpers 23 is provided, one on each side of the frame 16,

and are adapted to be engaged by means 2| on the forward end of the arm structure 2 when the arm is in bucket loading position. This ing or digging at different depths, the means 2! provides an arcuate surface or track 22 curved about the axis of the shaft l4. The transfer of force thus occurs equally well for any chosen position within this range.

Since both bumpers 23 and their cooperating means 2| are identical, only one need be de- I i scribed. Referring to Figures 2 and 3, it will be seen that the bumper 20 comprises a horizontal member or bar 25, which may be conveniently of standard pipe, provided with a base or foot 26 at its rear end secured to a cross member I6a of the frame I6, as by welding. The forward end 1 of the member is provided with a flange 21 to which is attached, as by bolts 29, a similar flange 23, carrying a clevis 30 rotatably supporting a roller 3| having an axis parallel to the axis of the shaft (see Figure 5). This roller 3| engages the arcuate surface or track 22 of the cooperating means 2|.

A base plate extends between the arm members I and 8 and is suitably attached to the inner plate of each pair of plates S-a and 6--a of these arm members, and is also secured to the cross tie 1 by a plurality of bracket plates 36. The arcuate track 22 is provided by a, suitably curved plate 31 mounted on the base plate 35. The plate 31 is supported above the plate 33 as by a web plate 38 and by having its upper end portion 3Ia bent over to engage the plate 35.

. The other end of the plate 31 is braced transversely by a plate 39. I

Plate 31 is so positioned with respect to the shaft l4 and abutment roller 3| that as the arm 2 is swung downwardly, the track 22 engagesthe roller 3| somewhat before the bucket 4 reaches the highest position at-which it is arranged to be loaded. The arcuate character of the track means 2| is mounted on the cross tie 1 which members Iii-b of the frame l6. The abutment bars 25 rest on top of the cross piece 40, bein secured in place by welding and additionally by plates 43. Thus, the'cross piece 40 not only serves to support the abutments- 2c vertically, but also maintains them in place horizontally.

It will be apparent from an inspection of Figure'3, that the force exerted by the tractor 3 urging the bucket 4 forward, is transmitted directly from the tractor frame i6 to the bucket through the abutments 20, plates 31, base plate 35, brackets 36 and the cross tie 1. In this way, the standards I5 and the arm 2 are relieved of all stresses incident to such force, and there is no tendency to raise the forward end of the tractor, such as would exist if this force was allowed to act through the arm 2.

Another advantage of the instant arrangement is that the track 22 inclines downwardly and rearwardly under the roller 3 I whereby any tendency of the bucket to rise due to the forward movement of the tractor is obviated.

In order to limit the downward movement of the bucket to a predetermined position, a block 44 may be secured on each surface 22. This block 44, by contacting roller 3|, stops downward movement of the bucket and arm assembly.

I claim:

1. In material handling equipment adapted for mounting on a self propelled vehicle having a frame,'and including a bucket and arm assembly supported on and above the vehicle frame for movement about a horizontal axis to raise and lower the bucket, the bucket being lowered in advance of the vehicle to be loaded by movement of the vehicle urging the bucket into the material to be handled, means forming an abutment on the vehicle frame, and means forming an armate surface on said assembly curved about said axis, and engageable with said abutment when the bucket is in any one of several loading po 'sitions for transmitting force incident to the loading of the bucket directly to the vehicle frame.

2. In material handling equipment adapted for mounting on a self propelled vehicle having a frame, and including a bucket and arm assembly supported on and above the vehicle frame for movement about a horizontal axis to raise and I on the vehicle frame, and means on said assembly engageable with said abutment for any position of said bucket within predetermined limits, said means including astop engageable with said abutment when one of said limits is reached to prevent further movement of said assembly.

3. In material handling equipment adapted for 9 mounting on a self propelled vehicle having a' frame, and including a bucket and arm assembly supported on and above the vehicle frame for movement about a horizontal axis to raise and lower the bucket, the bucket being lowered in advance of the vehicle to be loaded by movement of the vehicle urging the bucket into the material to be handled, means forming an abutment on the vehicle frame, means forming an arcuate surface on said assembly curved about said axis, and engageable with said, abutment when the bucket is, in any one of several loading positions for transmitting force incident to the loading of the bucket directly to the vehicle frame, and stop means engageable with said abutment when one of said limits is reached to prevent further movement of said assembly.

4. In material handling equipment adapted for mounting on a self propelled vehicle having a frame, and including a. bucket and arm assembly supported on and above the vehicle frame for movement about a horizontal axis to raise and lower the bucket, the bucket being lowered in advance of the vehicle to be loaded by movement of the vehicle urging the bucket into the material to be handled, means forming an abutment on the vehicle frame, a roller carried by said abutment for free rotation about an axis substantially parallel with said horizontal axis, and means forming an arcuate surface on said assembly curved about said horizontal axis and engageable with said roller when the bucket is in loading position, for transmitting force incident to the loading of the bucket directly to the ve hicle frame.

5. In material handling equipment adapted for mounting on a self propelled vehicle having a frame, and including a bucket and arm assembly, said bucket extending transversely of the vehicle substantially the entire width thereof, said arm comprising a. pair of members attached to the bucket at widely spaced points across the width thereof and being supported on and above the vehicle frame for movement about a common horizontal axis to raise and lower the bucket, the bucket being lowered in advance of the vehicle to' be loaded by movement of'the vehicle urging the bucket into the material to be handled, means forming a. cross tie Joining said members adjacent the bucket, means forming a pair of to be handled, means forming an abutment on the vehicle frame, and means forming a surface on said assembly engageable with said abutment when the bucket is in loading position, said surface when engaged with said abutment inclining downwardly and toward said abutment, a portion of said surface passing beneath said abutment, whereby said abutment during the loading of the bucket restrains upward movement of said assembly.

'7. In material handling equipment adapted for mounting on a self propelled vehicle having a frame, and including a bucket and arm assembly supported on and above the vehicle frame for movement about a horizontal axis to raise a portion of said surface passing beneath said for movement about a horizontal axis to raise and lower the bucket, the bucket being lowered in advance of the vehicle to be loaded by movement of the vehicle urging the bucket into the material to be handled, means forming. a forwardly directed abutment on the vehicle frame, and means on said arm continuously engageable with said abutment over a limited range of movement of the arm, when the bucket is in loading position.

9. In material handling equipment adapted for mounting on a self propelled vehicle having a frame, and including a bucket and arm assembly, said bucket extending transversely of the vehicle substantially the' entire width thereof, said arm comprising a pair of members attached to the bucket at widely snaeed points across the width thereof and beingsupported on and above the vehicle frame formovement about a common horizontal axis to raise and lower the bucket,

' the bucket being lowered in advance of the ve- Number hicle to be loaded by movement of the vehicle urging the bucket into the material to be handled, means forming a cross tie joining said members adjacent the bucket, and abutment means mounted on the vehicle frame, extending forwardly thereof, and effective to engage said cross tie means at a point intermediate and spaced from said members.

CLARENCE C. COLEMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 1

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

